LOCATION BERNING                 NV

Established Series
Rev. BJS/GJS/JVC/JBF
02/2016

BERNING SERIES

The Berning series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Berning soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Xeric Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Berning gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 23 cm thick)

Bt1--8 to 20 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial, and few fine and very fine tubular pores; many faint clay films coating sand grains; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

Bt2--20 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few fine and many very fine interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

Bt3--36 to 61 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; common distinct clay films coating sand grains and lining pores; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (20 to 58 cm thick)

Bt4--61 to 152 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; few faint clay films coating sand grains and lining pores; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.7).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; about 12 miles north of Carlin on Maggie Creek Road; in the approximate center of section 25, T. 35 N., R. 51 E.; USGS Swales Mountain NW 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 53 minutes 36 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 11 minutes 21 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8933333 latitude, -116.1891667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in some part late October through early June; dry early June through late October; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 100 to more than 150 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 5 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Weak or moderate thin platy or fine or medium subangular blocky or is massive.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, very friable or friable moist, nonsticky or slightly sticky, nonplastic or slightly plastic wet.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Upper Bt horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly or extremely gravelly sandy clay, or clay loam.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent, mainly gravel and some cobbles.
Structure: Weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky or angular blocky or is massive.
Consistence: Hard or very hard dry, friable or firm moist, and moderately plastic or very plastic wet.

Lower Bt horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Very gravelly or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 15 to 25.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent, mainly gravel and some cobbles.
Structure: Subangular blocky or is massive.
Consistence: Hard or very hard dry, firm or friable moist.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bilbo, Clenage, Havingdon, Lambranch, Maderbak, Pula, Surgem, Tanawit, Tenmile, Vanwyper, and Zephan series.

Bilbo and Pula soils have depth to base of the argillic horizon of less than 100 cm. Clenage, Havingdon, Maderbak, Surgem, and Vanwyper soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Lambranch soils are slightly alkaline and have depth to base of the argillic horizon of 50 to 100 cm. Tanawit soils have an argillic horizon 25 to 50 cm thick. Tenmile soils have soil temperatures of 11 to 13 degrees C. and have depth to the base of the argillic horizon of 69 to 100 cm. Zephan soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Berning soils are on fan remnants. They typically occur on footslope or backslope positions. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,520 to 1680 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 8 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cherry Spring, Gance, Short Creek, and Toeja soils. Cherry Creek soils are moderately deep to a strongly cemented duripan and are fine-loamy. Gance soils have a Bqk horizon between depths of 64 to 86 cm. Short Creek soils have frigid soil temperature regime. Toeja soils are fine-loamy and have mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Berning soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, basin wildrye, bottlebrush squirreltail, and little rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 8,400 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 25.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County (Tuscarora Mountain Area), Nevada, 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 8 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 152 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 58 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons and part of the Bt3 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.